Golf ball retriever

ABSTRACT

A golf ball retriever for use in recovery of a golf ball from a water trap, pond, or any lie out of reach of the golfer includes a bell-shaped cup secured to a handle having telescopically related, adjustable sections. A lightweight locking pin or tumbler is freely slideably mounted in a bore in the handle socket of the cup for movement between a ball blocking position partially spanning the mouth of a cup and a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into the cup. With the cup in an inverted operative position, light downward pressure on the cup causes the ball to cam the pin from the blocking position allowing entry of the ball into the cup. Once the ball has entered the cup, gravity action on the locking pin and the ball causes movement of the pin from the retracted position to a pin position partially across the cup to block egress of the ball from the cup.

limited States Patent 1 91 Faber et al.

[ GOLF BALL RETRIEVER [75] Inventors: Saul L. Faber, Milwaukee, Wis;

1 v.U 1 11!\ l-uJ rs s n A119 Calif-W [73] Assignee: said Ijaber by said Jurek 22 Filed: Apr. 7, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 132,122

[52] US. Cl 2 94/19 A Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-J0hnny D. Cherry Att0rney-Wheeler, House & Wheeler 1111 3,770,308 1 "Nov.6, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT A golf ball retriever for use in recovery of a golf ball from a water trap, pond, or any lie out of reach of the golfer includes a bell-shaped cup secured to a handle having telescopically related, adjustable sections. A lightweight locking pin or tumbler is freely slideably mounted in a bore in the handle socket of the cup for movement between a ball blocking position partially spanning the mouth of a cup and a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into the cup. With the cup in an inverted operative position, light downward pressure on the cup causes the ball to cam the pin from the blocking position allowing entry of the ball .into' the" 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures tially across the cup to block egress of the ball from the r GOLF BALL RETRIEVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Retrieving a golf ball from a water trap with prior art golf ball retrievers is particularly difficult where the water trap has a soft mud or silt bottom because the pressure required to cause movement of the ball into the cup and to actuate the ball retaining devices associated with the cup, often causes the ball to be pushed further into the bottom beyond sight and with little chance of recovery. I

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The golf ball retriever of the invention includes a ball capturing device which is actuated by a minimal amount of pressure to prevent loss of the ball in a soft bottom. The retriever includes a bell-shaped cup with an open mouth and an integral handle socket with a transverse bore which freely receives a lightweight metal locking pin or tumbler which is movable between a blocking position partially spanning the cup mouth to retain the captured ball and a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into the cup. The blocking pin has a head at its lower end with a curved cam follower surface. When the ball cup is inverted into its operative position and lowered over the ball, the ball cams the locking pin from the blocking position to a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into the cup with return of the pin to the blocking position once the ball passes over center between the cam surface on the pin and the surfaceof the cup opposite the pin. The camming action of the ball on the pin provides a mechanical advantage to raise the pin and thus reduces .the downward pressure required on the ball to lift the pin. The light downward pressure required to lift the pin as the cup is lowered to capture the ball will not press the ball deeper into the soft bottom during retrieval.

Further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will appear from the following disclosure.

DRAWINGS which can be extended for the purpose of retrieving a golf ball 13 from a trap, lie, 0r the bed of a pond or stream which is out of reach of the golfer. The golf ball retriever includes a cup or bell-shaped receptacle 14 provided with openings 20 which afford visual sighting of a ball in the cup and afford water passage or water flow through the cup as the ball enters the cup 14.

The cup 14 has a slightly outwardly flared margin or lip 26 which defines a cup mouth 27. The cup 14 has an integrally molded boss 29 with a socket 28 which receives a handle section 11 which can be secured by a cross pin 32.

An important feature of the invention resides in a light-weight tumbler, locking member or pin 34 which has a head 35 with a curved or arcuate cam follower outer surface which joins a flat under surface 37 to form a sharp edge 39 for purposes presently described. Means are provided for supporting and guiding the locking pin 34 for movement between an advanced position (FIGS. 2, 4) partially spanning the mouth 27 to prevent egress of a ball captured in the cup 14 (FIG. 4) and a'retracted position (FIG. 3) permitting entry of the ball into the cup 14. As disclosed, the means comprises a transverse oversize bore 38 in the boss 29 and which freely receives the pin 34. The bore 38 is inclined to afford axial movement of the pin 34 by gravity to the blocking position of FIGS. 2 and 4 when the cup 14 is inverted into the operative position shown in the drawings. Ample clearance between the pin 34 and the ing pin being displaced by cam action of the ball to a retracted position.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3-showing a ball captured in the retriever cup with the locking pin in the blocking position preventing egress ofthe ball.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the inverted cup taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION bore 38 insures pin movement even if dirt or debris is present on the pin 34 or in the bore 38. A flared tail end 41 on the pin retains the pin 34 in the bore 38 and serves as a stop to limit downward or advancing movement of the pin 34.

In use, the cup 14 is inverted as :shown in FIG. 2 and lowered over the ball 1 13. As the ball 13 enters the mouth 27 of the cup and engagesthe cam surface 36, the locking pin 34 is cammed from the advanced blocking position (FIG. 2). In FIG. 3, the ball 13 is approaching a centered position in which a great circle 33 of the ball contacts the edge 39 on the pin and the inside surface 43 of the cup at the juncture 42 of the inside cup surface 43 and the lip.

Thecamming action of the ball 13 on the cam surface 36 providesa mechanical advantage to minimize the downward pressure required on the handle to actuate the locking pin and capture the ball thus preventing the ball 13 from becoming further imbedded or lost in gence of the ball from the cup is prevented and the ball can be lifted from the trap.

The edge 39 on the pin head 36 remains engaged with the ball during retrieval and accordingly, gravity action on the ball and thus the pin 34, as a result of the engagement with the pin edge 39, insures that the pin is moved to the blocking position by downward thrust of the ball and'maintained in the blocking position as the ball 13 is lifted from the trap. While edge 39 is not essential to the retaining functions of the tumbler 34, it is a desirable feature and improves reliability.

The ball is easily removed from the cup by inverting the sup so that the ball falls into the bottom of the cup free of the pin 34 with the pin sliding toward the boss 29 and providing free access to the ball through the mouth 27 by grasping the ball with the fingers.

In the FIG. 4 position gravity bias of the ball 13 on pin 34 cramps the pin in its socket 38 to lock the pin 34 in its blocking position. When the cup is inverted the ball falls away from the pin, thus to release it for retraction.

We claim:

1. In a golf ball retriever having a handle and a ball receiving cup having an entry mouth, the improvement omprising a light weight elongated tumbler and means for slidably supporting said tumbler for sliding movement in the direction of its elongation to afford gravity movement of said tumbler between a blocking position across the mouth of said cup preventing egress of a ball contained in said cup and movement against gravity from the blocking position to a retracted position pers-iitting entry of the ball into said cup.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said tumbler has a cam follower surface engageable with the ball which coacts with the cam follower surface to cam the tumbler from the blocking position to the retracted position permitting entry of the ball into the cup.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said tumbler has an edge engageable with a ball located in said cup when said cup is in an inverted operative position to receive downward thrust of the ball to seat said tumbler in the blocking position.

4. In a golf ball retriever having a handle and a ball receiving cup having an entry mouth, the improvement comprising a light weight tumbler and means for supporting said tumbler to afford gravity movement of said tumbler between a blocking position across the mouth of said cup preventing egress of a ball contained in said cup and movement against gravity from the blocking position to a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into said cup and wherein said tumbler comprises a pin and said means for supporting said tumbler comprises a bore extending through an inner wall surface of said cup, said bore freely receiving said pin for reciprocal axial movement of said pin between the blocking position and the retracted position.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said cup has an integral socketed handle and said bore extends through said handle.

6. In a golf ball retriever having a handle and a ball receiving cup having an entry mouth, the improvement comprising a tumbler pin and bore means for slidably supporting said tumbler pin to afford movement of said tumbler pin between a blocking position across the mouth of said cup preventing egress of a ball contained in said cup and movement from the blocking position to a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into said cup, said pin having a flared tail end to prevent movement of said end through said bore means.

7. The improvement of claim 6 wherein said pin has a head and said cam follower surface comprises an arcuate surface on the head.

8. In a golf ball retriever having a handle and a ball receiving cup with an inner wall surface, a socketed handle and a lip defining an open mouth, the improvement comprising a bore in said cup handle, said bore having an axis extending forwardly of the mouth of said cup and a locking pin slideably received in said bore, said locking pin having a head with a surface defining a cam follower and said pin being movable in said bore between a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into said cup caused by camming action of the ball on said cam follower surface as the ball is pressed into the mouth of the cup, and an advanced blocking position across the mouth of the cup upon release of the pin when the ball moves past a centered position between said inside surface of said cup and said cam follower surface to prevent egress of the ball from the cup.

9. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said locking pin is spaced from said lip of the cup a distance less than the diameter of the ball when said pin is in the blocking position to retain the ball in said cup.

# l 1' t t 

1. In a golf ball retriever having a handle and a ball receiving cup having an entry mouth, the improvement comprising a light weight elongated tumbler and means for slidably supporting said tumbler for sliding movement in the direction of its elongation to afford gravity movement of said tumbler between a blocking position across the mouth of said cup preventing egress of a ball contained in said cup and movement against gravity from the blocking position to a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into said cup.
 2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said tumbler has a cam follower surface engageable with the ball which coacts with the cam follower surface to cam the tumbler from the blocking position to the retracted position permitting entry of the ball into the cup.
 3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said tumbler has an edge engageable with a ball located in said cup when said cup is in an inverted operative position to receive downward thrust of the ball to seat said tumbler in the blocking position.
 4. In a golf ball retriever having a handle and a ball receiving cup having an entry mouth, the improvement comprising a light weight tumbler and means for supporting said tumbler to afford gravity movement of said tumbler between a blocking position across the mouth of said cup preventing egress of a ball contained in said cup and movement against gravity from the blocking position to a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into said cup and wherein said tumbler comprises a pin and said means for supporting said tumbler comprises a bore extending through an inner wall surface of said cup, said bore freely receiving said pin for reciprocal axial movement of said pin between the blocking position and the retracted position.
 5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said cup has an integral socketed handle and said bore extends through said handle.
 6. In a golf ball retriever having a handle and a ball receiving cup having an entry mouth, the improvement comprising a tumbler pin and bore means for slidably supporting said tumbler pin to afford movement of said tumbler pin between a blocking position across the mouth of said cup preventing egress of a ball contained in said cup and movement from the blocking position to a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into said cup, said pin having a flared tail end to prevent movement of said end through said bore means.
 7. The improvement of claim 6 wherein said pin has a head and said cam follower surface comprises an arcuate surface on the head.
 8. In a golf ball retriever having a handle and a ball receiving cup with an inner wall surface, a socketed handle and a lip defining an open mouth, the improvement comprising a bore in said cup handle, said bore having an axis extending forwardly of the mouth of said cup and a locking pin slideably received in said bore, said locking pin having a head with a surface defining a cam follower and said pin being movable in said bore between a retracted position permitting entry of the ball into said cup caused by camming action of the ball on said cam follower surface as the ball is pressed into the mouth of the cup, and an advanced blocking position across the mouth of the cup upon release of the pin when the ball moves past a centered position between said inside surface of said cup and said cam follower surface to prevent egress of the ball from the cup.
 9. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said locking pin is spaced from said lip of the cup a distance less than the diameter of the ball when said pin is in the blocking position to retain the ball in said cup. 